Freedom Is Not Free—Veterans Deserve the Benefits They Earned

By State Representatives Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) and Sandra G. Scott (D-Rex)

(679 words)

More than six million veterans currently receive disability compensation through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Many rely on medication to manage service-connected injuries and illnesses, from PTSD and traumatic brain injury to hypertension, joint damage and chronic pain.

Recently, a federal rule change created alarm across the veteran community. On February 17, the VA published an interim final rule amending its interpretation of 38 C.F.R. § 4.10-the regulation governing how functional impairment is evaluated for disability ratings.

The rule stated that VA examiners should evaluate veterans based on how they function while taking medication, rather than assessing the underlying, unmedicated severity of their condition.

In plain language, if medication improves your symptoms, that improvement could be factored into your disability rating.

Veteran service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans, warned that this could potentially lower disability ratings for millions of veterans-especially those who responsibly follow their doctors' treatment plans.

Serious concerns and questions have been raised:

• Could veterans feel pressured to stop taking medication to protect their rating?
• Would mental health conditions like PTSD be underestimated if medication reduces visible symptoms?
• Why was the rule issued without traditional notice-and-comment procedures?
• Why did it appear to counter recent court rulings, including Ingram v. Collins (2025)?

These are not minor administrative questions. Disability ratings directly affect monthly compensation, access to VA healthcare tiers, dependent benefits and long-term financial stability. However, veterans responded swiftly and loudly. Within 48 hours, organizations, lawmakers and advocates expressed outrage.

We stand with our fellow veterans. Both of us served in the United States Army. We swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That oath did not expire when the uniform came off.

Many veterans did not leave duty once conditions improved or when headlines declared peace. They carried the physical and invisible wounds of service home with them. Freedom is not free, and many veterans live the cost of freedom every single day.

Some struggle in silence, and tragically, too many die by suicide. The weight of service, trauma and uncertainty can compound quickly. The last thing a veteran should worry about is whether following their doctor's orders will jeopardize the benefits they earned. As veterans and members of the Defense & Veterans Affairs Joint Committee, we side with those who served. Veterans deserve clarity, stability and respect, not confusion or financial insecurity.

On February 19, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced that the department would halt enforcement of the rule. The VA stated that it does not agree with how the rule has been characterized; it will not enforce the rule at any time in the future, and the public comment period remains open through April 20.

While enforcement has been halted, the rule has not yet been fully rescinded. That distinction matters.

What we want veterans to know right now:

1. Your current disability rating is not being reduced;
2. The rule is not being enforced;
3. Public comments are still being accepted;
4. The issue is not fully resolved until the rule is formally withdrawn or clarified.

Veterans should not stop medication. Doing so could endanger your health and wellbeing. If you have concerns about your individual case, consult an accredited VA representative or Veterans Service Organization.

The disability rating system is built on a fundamental principle. Compensation reflects the impact of service-connected conditions on earning capacity and daily function. If policy shifts create ambiguity about how that function is measured, medicated or unmedicated, transparency is essential.

The process must be clear, predictable, fair and subject to public input. Veterans have earned that. Those who defended our Constitution deserve the full benefits promised to them. They stood watch when the nation slept. They served when called. They bore the burden so others could live in freedom.

Veterans should not have to decipher Federal Register language to understand whether their livelihood is at risk. You served with clarity of mission. You deserve clarity in policy. You deserve your earned benefits.

Protect the People. Protect the Constitution. And always-protect our veterans.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

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